The General Assembly’s Political Committee voted 117-1 yesterday to urge Israel to permit the return of two mayors and a Moslem religious judge who were expelled from the West Bank last May. Israel cost the sale vote against the resolution. The United States and Malawi abstained on the measure which is virtually assured of adoption by the General Assembly.
The resolution stated that the deportation orders against Mayor Fahd Kawasme of Hebron, Mayor Mohammed Milhim of Halhoul and Kadi (judge) Rajab Al-Tamimi of Hebron were illegal. They were expelled from the territory in the wake of the ambush slaying of six yeshiva students in Hebron May 2. The two mayors were permitted to return to the West Bank last month to file an appeal with the Israeli Supreme Court. They are confined to Ramie jail pending the outcome.
In other actions involving Israel, the Political Committee voted 91-2 with 22 abstentions to continue the investigation of Israel’s treatment of political prisoners in the occupied territories. Israel and the U.S. cast the negative votes. The U.S. abstained on another resolution that accused Israel of trying to change the status of the populations of the occupied territories in contravention of international law governing the treatment of populations under military occupation.
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